Badlands Journal
Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice
6-17-09
Modesto Bee
Economically, it stinks to be us...Michael Doyle
http://www.modbee.com/local/v-print/story/747406.html
WASHINGTON — The recession has slammed Modesto, Stockton and Fresno harder than almost any other metropolitan areas in the country, according thelates
Review of Dairy Industrialization in the First Place: Urbanization, Immigration and Political Economy in Los Angeles, by Jess Gilbert and Kevin Wehr, Rural Sociology, 2003
*Sauve qui peut -- French: "Save who can," a disorderly retreat.
A very fancy corporate consulting firm announced recently that Merced would lead the way out of recession in the north San Joaquin Valley because of UC Merced. As intrepid Modesto Bee business reporter J.N. Sbranti noted, the fancy new economic model unveiled by the consultants from outer space failed to include the foreclosure rate. This blip failed to live up to the big shot firm’s slogan: “Bringing you the power of perspective.”
Politics in this part of California is mean and stupid. State Sen. Dean Florez, hailed by the anti-asthma activists as the hero who expanded the San Joaquin Valley air board to include three more city council members, a doctor and a health professional, called for the abolition of the state Department of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday. Florez comes from Wasco, deep in the Westlands Water District, but the Farm Bureau has opposed all his efforts to expand the air board and curb air pollution in the worst part of the worst air basin in the nation.
6-16-09
Badlands Journal
Sauve qui peut...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-06-15/007270
6-15-09
Badland Journal
When East is East and West is West, who pays the bills?...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/
As the inveterate, hairy-chested managing editor of the Sun-Star heads off to embeddedment in Iraq again (because a female reporter went twice!), Tom Frazier asks real questions about a local issue: Who is paying for the Michelle Obama event? While the Imperial Tharp is Inshalla-ing to a fair-the-well about his upcoming war junket, Frazier is calling out the imaginary “feral dogs” of the press to find out what happened. Yo, Frazier, there are no feral dogs of the local press.
6-14-09
Badlands Journal
Statewide consequences of the knuckleheads we elect to office...Badlands Journal editorial board
http://www.badlandsjournal.com/2009-06-14/007266
The article below from the LA Times, datelined Merced, observes that the Republican legislative delegation from the San Joaquin Valley, one of the poorest places in the nation, is going to once again do the "right" thing despite their desire to be compassionate and vote to lower taxes and cut health and human services in the next state budget.
"Herald chalks it up to core GOP ideology, a yearning to shrink government," the Times reports. 'In fairness to them,' he said, 'much of it is simply philosophical.'"
6-13-09
Merced Sun-Star
Tom Frazier: Party's over -- who paid the bill?...Tom Frazier
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/463/v-print/story/898442.html
The Sun-Star's coverage of the first four-year UC Merced class' graduation was impressive -- until the lights went out.
First lady Michelle Obama came to town. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, thanks to the imagination and tenacity of the class of 2009.